Liquid valve



w Sept. 17, 1957 H. H. HOBBS LIQUID VALVE Filed Jan. 7, 1953' INVENTORHOWARD H. HOBBS ATTORNEY Hanan-"Q United States Patent LIQUID VALVEHoward H. Hobbs, Tipton, Ind., assignor to Food Machinery and ChemicalCorporation, San Jose, Caiifi, a corporation of Delaware ApplicationJanuary 7, 1953, Serial No. 330,006

8 Claims. (Cl. 251-72) This invention relates toan automatic liquidcontrol valve of the type operated by variations in the weight of liquidcontained in a receptacle supported thereby, said valve beingparticularly intended for use with poultry watering troughs and thelike. 7

One object of the present invention is to provide a valve of the typedescribed, which may be easily and quickly assembled.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a valve of theabove mentioned type from which the parts subject to the most wear maybe removed and replaced by new parts Without disconnecting the valvefrom the liquid supply line or moving said valve from its normalposition.

Another object is to provide an automatic, storage reservoir refillingvalve which does not require that pressure in the supply line beinterrupted before the parts of the valve most subject to wear can beremoved for inspection and repair or replacement.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improvedvalve of the above referred to type which may be locked in open positionuntil a predetermined weight of liquid has been supplied to thereceptacle associated therewith whereupon the valve is automaticallyunlocked so as to thereafter be responsive to variations in the weightof liquid in said receptacle.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following description and the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the liquid valve of the present invention.

' Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the valve shown in Fig.1, certain parts being shown in elevation; the moving parts of saidvalve being shown in a different operational position than in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken along line 3--3 of Fig. 2. i

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of a portion of Fig. 2,certain parts being broken away.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of a portion of Fig.1,certain parts being broken away.

' Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken along line 7-7 of Fig. 2, certainparts being omitted.

. The present liquid control valve assembly 11 (Fig. 2) is adapted tomaintain-a predetermined water level in a poultry watering trough 13, orthe like, which has only been partially shown, and one end of which issuspended from an actuating lever 14 pivoted to said valve assembly andthe opposite end of which rests on the ground at a point such that waterreleased from the valve assembly 11 will be received by said trough; Thevalve assembly 11 is attached to and supplied with water from adownwardly extending water pipe 15 positioned near the ground. The valveassembly 11 comprises a valve housing 17 threadably connected tothewater pipe and including a body portion 18 having a depending nose 19to which a 'Patented Sp t. 17,1957

tube 21 is threadably secured. The upper end of the body portion 18 isprovided with a bore 23 communicating with the water pipe 15. The bore23 is in axial alignment with the tube 21, but spaced therefrom by thenose or partition 19.

The valve housing 17 is provided with two valves 26 and 27 disposed atopposite ends of the partition 19. Said valves 26 and 27 are similar inconstruction comprising raised valve seats 28 and 29, respectively, onthe partition for cooperation with cylindrical valve heads or members 31and 33, respectively, loosely positioned within the bore 23 and theinterior 25 of the tube 21. The valve heads 31 and 33 are each formedadjacent their corresponding valve seat with protruding annular rims 35and 37, respectively, adapted to receive resilient circular pads orwashers 38 and 39, respectively, made of rubber, or like material. Saidpads are retained within the rims 35 and 37 by rolling the outer edgesof said rims inwardly over the margin of the pads, as shown at (Fig. 2).Said pads 38 and 39 assure a water tight seal be tween the valve headsand their respective valve seats.

The valve seats 28 and 29 are in communication with each other through aliquid flow passage 41 provided in the nose 19. Interposed between thewashers or pads 38 and 39 of the valve heads 31 and 33is a valve stem43, press-fitted-into a central hole 45 in the pad and body of the valvehead 33 and extending upwardly through the passage 41 into abuttingengagement with the pad38 of the valve head 31. The stem 43' is of sucha length that when the lever 14 is actuated to move the valve head 33 totheposition shown in Fig. 2, the head 31 will be raised from its seat28, so that both valves 26 and 27 are open. The diametral relationshipsbetween the heads 31, 33 and the bore 23 and interior tube diameter 25,respectively, and between the stem 43 and the passage 41 are such thatliquid may easily and quickly flow from the bore 23 into the trough 13when the valves 26 and 27 are in the filling position described aboveand shown in Fig. 2. However, when the lever 14 is actuated to permitvalve head 33 and stem 43 to drop to their lowermost position the freeupper end of the stem 43 will be positioned within the passage 41 sothat the valve head 31 of the valve 26 is free to close, i. e., tosealingly engage the valve seat 28 under the influence of its'own weightand the water pressure exerted downwardly thereon by the water .suppliedto the bore 23 from the pipe 15, thereby preventing the flow of waterfrom the valve assembly 11. The above described closed position of thevalve 26 automatically shuts off the water supply to the trough when thelatter is removed from the valve assembly for cleaning purposes.

Water is, of course, also prevented from leaving the valve assembly 11when the valve 27 is closed. This closed position of the valve 27 isobtained when the actuating lever 14 forces the valve head 33 upwardunder the weight of the water in the trough until the washer 39 isfirmly seated on the valve seat 29, while at the same time valve 26 isopened and the valve head 31 moved to its fully raised position by thestem 43.

The valves 26 and 27 are controlled by the actuating lever 14 whichforms a part of an actuating mechanism 47 supported by a fin-likebracket 51 (Fig. 2) extending laterally from one side of the tube 21preferably as an integral part thereof. The lower end of said tube 21 isslotted at 53 adjacent said bracket 51 and immediately below the valvehead 33 to allow the entrance into the lower portion of said tube of avalve head supporting arm 55 formed on one end of the valve actuatinglever 14. The lever 14 is formed with an ear 57 extending upward fromits upper edge, and a rivet 59 extending through the ear 57 and thebracket 51 supports the lever 14 for pivotal movement about an axis sosituated'that' the arm 55 can be completely withdrawn from the bore 25of the tube 21 by turning the lever 14 counterclock-v wise (Fig. 2)about the axis of the rivet 59 to the position indicated by broken linesin Fig. 2. The opposite end of the lever 14- is elongated to form a"receptacle support arm 60 provided with a series of holes 61 into one ofwhich the hooked end 63 of a tension spring 65 is inserted. The oppositeend of the spring is attached to an adjusting device 67 mounted on ahorizontal extension 69; of the bracket 51. The spring 65 constantlyurges the lever 14 in a counterclockwise direction (Fig. 2) about itsfulcrum 59. The support arm 60 is provided with a series of notches 71for receiving a ball 73 secured to one end of the trough 13, whereby thebail end of said trough may be freely suspended while the opposite endof the trough rests on the ground at a point such that liquid releasedfrom the valve 11 will be received by said trough.

Riveted to the bracket 51 at 75 is a spring latch 77 having its lowerend 79 bent somewhat like a Z (Figs. 3 and 4) to form two verticallyspaced, horizontally offset ledges 81 and83. The lower end 79 of thelatch 77' is adapted to project through a somewhat triangular opening 85(Fig. provided in the lever'14 below the pivot 59. and also through anelongated rectangular opening 87 in the bracket 51. The spring latch 77is biased to move toward the left, as viewed in Figs. 3 and 4, and atongue 89 extending downwardly from the lower ledge 83 normally preventsthe withdrawal of said latch from the openings 85 and 87 by its abutmentwith the bracket 51 below the lower margin of the opening 87, as shownin Fig. 4.

When the latch 77 is in the position shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 6 with itstongue 89 contacting the bracket 51, its lower ledge 83 is positionedwithin the lower portions of the openings 85 and 87 and the lever 14 isfree to pivot about its fulcrum 59 downwardly against the tension ofspring 65 and upwardly to the position shown in Fig. l.

When an empty trough 13 is hung by its bail 72 on the lever 14 or whenno trough'at all is supported by the same the spring 65 will pull thenotched end of said lever 14 upwardly until the corner 91 (Fig. 6) ofthe opening 85 bears against the adjacent side of the ledge 83 whereuponfurther upward motion of said lever will be prevented since the oppositeside of the ledge 83 simultaneously bears against the edge 93 of theopening'87. When the lever 14 is'in this position, its arm 55 is lowerthan the showing thereof in Fig. 2, resulting in a lowering of the valvehead 33 which in turn causes the upper end of the valve stem 43 towithdraw into the passage 41 'while at the same time the valve head 31is released to rest on the seat 28 in sealing engagement therewiththereby preventing the flow of water from the valve assembly 11.

' 'When his desired to fill the trough 13. supported on the lever 14 asabove described, the notched end of the lever 14 (Fig. 2) is manuallypushed downwardly and the spring latch 77 is manually pushed toward thelever 14 until the ledge 81 (Figs. 3 and 5) clears a shoulder 95 formedabove the corner 91 in the triangular opening 85 and comes to restwithin the upper portions of the openings 85 and 87. The lever 14 andlatch 77 may then be released from manual pressure but will remain intheir newly assumed, i. e., interlocked, positions since the urge of thespring 65 will clamp the ledge 81 (Fig. 5) of the latch between theshoulder 95 and the edge 93 of. the rectangular opening 87 preventingits withdrawal therefrom under the urge of its outward bias, thereby,also preventing return ofthe lever 14 counterclockwise to the positionshown in Fig. 1 and closing of the valve 31. This positioning of thelever 14 places the valve assembly 11 in its open or filling positionwith the heads 31 and 33 in an intermediate position, as shown i in Fig.2, so that liquid from the pipe 15 flows into the trough 13.

As the water continues to flow into the trough 13 the weight of thetrough and the water therein will eventually overcome the upward tensionof the spring 65 and the support arm 60 of the lever 14 Will be slowlypulled downwardly as the weight of the trough increases. During theinitial downward movement of the lever 14 the shoulder 95 will berotated clockwise (Fig. 2) away from the ledge 81 of the latch 77 thusreleasing it and allowing it to fly or snap outwardly under its owntension from its position within the openings and 87. The latch therebyassumes the previously described position shown in Fig. 4, which allowslimited rocking of the lever 14 about the pivot 59 in either direction,so that the actuating mechanism 47 may thereafter be completelyresponsive to the weight of water in the trough 13.

Further filling of water into the trough 13 soon raises the arm 55against the pull of the spring 65 sufficiently to force the valve head33 upwardly into sealing relationship with the valve seat 29 therebyclosing the valve 27 and preventing the fiow of additional. water intothe trough 13. The quantity of water in the trough 13 which will causethe valve 27 to close may be regulated as desired by adjusting thetension of the spring 65 by means of the take-up device 67. As the waterin the trough is consumed by poultry, evaporates, or spills, the totalweight of water in the trough is reduced permitting the spring 65 toraise the support arm 60 and to lower the arm 55. The weight of thevalve heads 31 and 33 and the water pressure exerted downwardly thereonthen cause said valve head 33 to follow the arm '55 thereby opening thevalve 27 and allowing water to flow into the trough 13 to replenish thesupply therein. When the trough 13 again contains the desired amount ofwater the lever 14 will be rotated clockwise (Fig. 2) to close the valve27 and stop the flow of water into the trough.

' Thus the trough 13 may be left unattended for long periods of time, anoccasional inspection being necessary only to clean the trough 13 offoreign matter which may collect therein. Upon removal of the trough 13from connection with the valve 11 for such a cleaning, the valve 11 willimmediately and automatically close under the action of spring 65, aspreviously described thereby preventing the undesired discharge ofwater.

In actual practice it has been found that the sealing pad 39 on thevalve head 33 Wears out more quickly than the corresponding pad 38 onthe head 31 due, it is believed, to the accumulation of grit and thelike carried by the water upon the upper surface of pad 39 which abradesand wears the pad wtih repeated opening and closing of the valve 27,under the pressure of a full trough of water. Therefore, to permit quickreplacement, the present valve is so constructed that the head 33 andstem 43 may be readily removed for replacement of the sealing pad 39without removing the valve assembly 11 from the supply pipe 15 or movingit from its normal depending position.

To remove the head 33, the spring latch 77 is withdrawn from between theopenings 85 and 87 and the lever 14 is pivoted counterclockwise (Fig.2). This results in lowering both valve heads 31 and 33, causing theupper head 33 to establish sealing engagement with the upper valve seat28 and thus avoid any necessity of shutting off the water supply beforedisassembling the valve 11. Owing to the fact that the pivot 59 aboutwhich the lever 14 turns is located within the upwardly extending ear57, when the lever 14 is pivoted counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 2,to the position thereof illustrated in broken lines in that figure, thearm 55 is withdrawn from the interior 25 of the tube 21 and from contactwith the valve head 33. so that the same and the attached valve stem 43will drop out the open end of the tube 21. V I the head 33 and theattached stem 43 are reassembled After the worn pad has been replaced.

in" the .valve" 11 by grasping the head 33 and inserting the stem 43into the passage 41. The head 33.n1ay be pushedwell' into the tube 21 byhand or with the aid of a? nail, pencil or the like where it can againbe contacted for support and control by returning the arm 55 to itsnormal position within the tube 21. The insertion of the lower end 79 ofthe latch 77 through the openings 85 and 87 completes the replacementoperation.

' While I have. described a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention'it will be understood, however, that various changes andmodifications may be made in the details thereof without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a liquid valve for controlling the flow of liquid from a source ofliquid under pressure, the combination of operating means for the valve,and a latch adapted to be set in position to lock said valve operatingmeans in valve open position, said latch being spring biased in adirection away from said set position to automatically release saidvalve operating means upon movement thereof toward valve closedposition. a

2. In a liquid valve having a housing provided with a liquid passage andvalve means for controlling the flow of liquid through said passage, anautomatic valve controlling device comprising a lever fulcrumed adjacentone side of said housing and having an arm operatively associated withsaid valve means and a load carrying arm for supporting a receptaclebeneath said liquid passage, said lever being provided with an aperturehaving one of its walls recessed to provide a shoulder; spring meansadapted to urge said lever into a valve closed position; a spring latchmember secured to said housing adjacent the aperture in said lever andhaving a latching abutment adapted to be urged against the spring actionof said latch member into interlocking engagement with a slot in saidhousing and the shoulder of the aperture in said lever when said leveris pivoted to valve open position, said latching abutment beingreleasable upon the spring means pressure being overcome by apredetermined load to allow the spring bias of said latch member towithdraw said abutment from its locking position.

3. An automatic liquid valve comprising a valve housing having a liquidpassage therein, valve means associated with said passage, a pivotallymounted valve control lever connected with said valve means for movementthereof, means urging said control lever toward a valve closed position,a clamping surface provided on said control lever, a stationary stopmeans adjacent said clamping surface on said lever and having a clampingsurface opposed to said lever clamping surface, and a latch having aledge adapted to be clamped between said clamping surfaces when saidlever is pivoted into a valve open position to lock said lever in valveopen position, said latch being spring biased to automatically withdrawsaid ledge from latching contact with said clamping surfaces uponmovement of said lever counter to the urge of the control lever urgingmeans, said latch also having an abutment adapted to be positionedbetween the clamping surface on said control lever and the clampingsurface of said stop member when said ledge is withdrawn from latchingcontact with said clamping surfaces for maintaining said control leverin connection with said valve means when no load counter to the urge ofthe control lever urging means is applied to said lever.

4. An automatic liquid valve comprising a valve housing having a liquidpassage therein, valve means associated with said passage, pivotallymounted valve control lever connected with said valve means for movementthereof, means urging said control lever toward a valve closed position,a clamping surface provided on said control lever, a stationary stopmeans adjacent said clamping surface on said lever and having a clampingsurface opposed to said lever clamping surface, a latch having a ledgeadapted to be clamped between said clamping surfaces when said lever ispivoted into a valve open position to lock said lever in valve openposition, said latch being spring biased to automatically withdraw saidledge from latching contact with said clamping surfaces upon movement ofsaid lever counter to the urge of the control lever urging means, saidlatch also having an abutment adapted to be positioned between theclamping surface on said control lever and the clamping surface of saidstop member when said ledge is withdrawn from latching contact with saidclamping surfaces for maintaining said control lever in connection withsaid valve means when no load counter to the urge of the control leverurging means is applied to said lever, and means to prevent the springbias of said latch from withdrawing said abutment from between saidclamping surfaces.

5. A liquid valve comprising a valve housing, said housing having apassage therethrough, valves associated with each end of said passagefor controlling the flow of liquid through said passage, a valve stem ofgreater length than said passage rigidly connected to one of said valvesand extending through the passage for loose engagement with the other ofsaid valves whereby both valves may be simultaneously disposed in anopen position and when one valve i in closed position the other will bein open position, a movable valve control lever operatively associatedwith said valves for movement thereof, means urging said control levertoward a position which will cause one of said valves to close saidpassage, a first clamping surface on said control lever, a secondclamping surface on said housing opposite the first clamping surface,and a latch adapted to be clamped between said clamping surfaces whensaid lever is moved into a position in which said valves are in an openposition to lock said lever in valves open position, said latch beingspring biased for automatic withdrawal from contact with one of saidclamping surfaces upon movement of said lever counter to the urge of thecontrol lever urging means to unlock said lever.

6. A valve comprising a valve housing having a passage therein, amovable valve element associated with aid passage for controlling flowthrough the same, operating means pivoted on said housing and having anend portion extending into said housing in operative engagement withsaid element, a latch movable to a first latching position wherein itmaintain said valve operating means in a valve open position, said latchincluding spring means urging said latch from said first latchingposition to a second latching position wherein the valve operating meansis in a valve closed position, said latch being movable to a thirdposition wherein it releases the operating means for pivotal movement ofsaid end portion out of said housing.

7. In a valve assembly having a housing provided with a passage and avalve head for controlling flow through the passage, an automatic valvecontrolling device comprising a lever fulcrumed adjacent said housingand having an arm operatively associated with the valve head and a loadsupporting arm, means on said housing providing a fixed abutment, meanson said lever providing an abutment movable toward the fixed abutmentwhen the lever moves in a valve opening direction, and a latch membersupported from the housing and movable into a latching position betweensaid abutments to hold the lever in a predetermined position, said latchmember including spring means urging the latch member from said latchingposition, and yieldable means urging the lever toward valve openposition with suflicient force to grip the latch between the abutmentsand thereby retain the latch in said latching position.

8. A valve comprising a valve body having a passage therein, a valvehead associated with said passage for I t qont iqllin ow th ou e sam potal y mou ed al e opera in means ops at ly conne te o sa d he d :24weble t a first p iti e ei h al is los d to a second position whereinthe valveis retained in an open position within the body, and to a thirdposition wherein the valve head is released for removal from the body,and a latoh adapted to be set in position to lock said valve operatingmeans in valve open position, said latch being spring biased in adirection away from said set position to release said valve operatingmeans upon movement thereof toward valve closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re23,447 Pruitt Dec. 25, 1951 Schmidtt Oct. 21, Laureneich Aug. 23, DavisApr. 30, Hanney July 6, Gravelile Nov. 7, Hobbs Apr. 14, Ehlke Aug. 30,

FOREIGN PATENTS G eat Britain "in-"inn" o

